Visakhapatnam, Jan 17 (IANS) Union Human Resources Development Minister Smriti Irani Saturday laid the foundation stone for the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Gambheeram village near this coastal city in Andhra Pradesh.
To come up on nearly 400 acres of land, IIM-Visakhapatnam is the first of the 11 institutes sanctioned by the central government for Andhra Pradesh under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.
The institute is expected to start functioning by June and classes are likely to begin from the next academic year.
Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and many state ministers, parliamentarians and other public representatives attended the ceremony.
Irani said that by setting up the prestigious institute, the government was trying to fulfill the dreams of the youth of Andhra Pradesh.
She said prestigious institutes like IITs, IIMs and NITs were offering online open courses free of cost to all citizens who seek education.
Venkaiah Naidu assured the state that the central government would extend all help in setting up the institutes.
He said that with inherent knowledge, skills and strengths, Andhra Pradesh had the potential to become the knowledge hub of India.
Describing Visakhapatnam as the best place in the country, Chandrababu Naidu said his government aimed to develop the place as a world-class city.
He said a memorandum of understanding would be signed soon to develop the coastal city as a smart city.
Chandrababu Naidu suggested that IIM-Visakhapatnam should introduce innovative courses in logistics, development and marine studies.
The chief minister said the city would soon have a Sarala Birla Academy and a campus of the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS).
Stating that the state was already ahead in higher education, Chandrababu Naidu said it would get more institutes like Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), a central university and a tribal university.
Earlier, an intervention by the chief minister Friday ensured that the foundation stone is not put off again.
More than 170 farmers refused to part with the land, saying they had been cultivating it for decades. They withdrew the protest after Chandrababu Naidu promised a special package for them.
The foundation stone was earlier scheduled to be laid Jan 5 but was postponed due to the protest.
Earthquake in Maharashtra: Earthquake tremors in Maharashtra early in the morning, the earth shook twice in 10 minutes
Strong earthquake tremors were felt in Hingoli, Maharashtra at around 6.08 am. The intensity of the earthquake was measured at 4.5 on the Richter scale. It is noteworthy that earthquake tremors were
North Korea begins to collapse? Kim Jong Un said - the country undergoing the worst
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un addressed thousands of grassroots activists of his ruling party at a large political conference in Pyongyang, acknowledging that his country was going through a very
'Don't play games in the name of religion', Rashami Desai got angry at Urvashi rautela's statement on the temple
Urvashi Rautela may not be a top Bollywood actress, but she becomes the most talked about topic on social media due to her statements. Earlier, the actress was trolled a lot for the steps of her song
Nirmala Sitharaman: Finance Minister's advice to PSUs, improve professionalism and reduce expenses
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday advised public sector enterprises to improve professionalism, reduce expenditure and consider working with private sector entities. Sitharaman
Inflation: Inflation and higher price may reduce the demand for gold in India
Gold demand may decline in the second half. This is because the demand for it is decreasing due to inflation and rising prices. The World Gold Council (WGC) said that less gold is being bought in
Scotland showed strong character in defeat: Skipper Mommsen
Dunedin, Feb 17 (IANS) Scotland skipper Preston Mommsen has said he is impressed with the fight they put up against New Zealand in their three-wicket defeat in a cricket World Cup Pool A encounter
UP Legislature Session: CM Yogi again lashed out at SP, said – these people raised the mafia
On the size of the budget presented for the financial year 2023-24, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that this budget reflects the development of the state's economy in the last six years. He
Have to keep repeating what we are doing: Dhoni
Melbourne, March 19 (IANS) After winning their World Cup quarter-final against Bangladesh, Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Thursday said his team has to keep on repeating the right things
Trump's ultimatum to WHO
US President Donald Trump has asked the World Health Organization (WHO) to prove in 30 days that it is not influenced by China. Failing to do so, Trump has warned to rethink America's membership in
What did Prime Minister Narendra Modi bring to India from the G-20 conference?
India is succeeding in establishing its presence in the world. The country is going to lead the presidency of Group of Twenty i.e. G-20 Conference 2023 in the G-20 countries conference in Bali,